Twin Lords
by devonneville
Summary: The seventh year at Hogwarts is not entirely pleasant for Harry, Ron, and girlfriend Hermione Granger...while Harry deals with tramatic girl-related social and academic issues, the Dark Lord is on the rise once again, determined to conquer Harry... ...
1. Chapter 1: A New Couple

Harry stepped out of the carriage, followed closely by Ron, who was leading Hermione by the hand. They were talking in quiet, giggly voices to each other that Harry chose to ignore completly--seeing and hearing the young couple flirt gave him a horrible sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach. For just last year they had become an item--Harry remembered it clearly...  
  
It had been a bright, sunny day in the last week of the school year, and Harry was on his way to find Ron who was performing some special prefect duty that Hermione had to do as well. They had left over an hour ago, Harry had thought, so they should be done by now. When he entered the cool Entrance Hall from the grounds, he was shocked to see both Hermione and Ron sitting on the Marble Staircase, whispering and giggling together. Then Hermione kissed Ron on the cheek--Harry had felt a surge of jealousy at this point--and Ron returned the favor affectionately. Then, Hermione looked up and her eyes widened in shock to see Harry standing there. She opened her mouth to say something as Ron had looked up, too, but Harry was already walking back out onto the grounds, burning with envy, contempt, and confusion. Two days later, Ron and Hermione had became an official item--boyfriend and girlfried, leaving Harry out in the dark.  
  
Harry shook himself as he trudged up to the castle through the dismal trickle of rain, hearing his best friends whisper and laugh behind him. 'I'm in the seventh year,' he told himself. 'I've dealt with this all summer, I can last through it now, too'. He entered the Great Hall and took his place at the Gryffindor table, looking bleakly down at his plate. He heard Ron sit down heavily beside him, heard Hermione take her seat just next to Ron, still talking quietly. When the sorting was complete, Harry ate in silence, staring at his meal, listening to his two best friends giggle and laugh as they fed each other mouthfuls of mash potatoes and gravy. 


	2. Chapter 2: Hermione's Good Looking

Harry's first day at Hogwarts was rather trying on both his brain and his emotional status. He had to endure Ron's talk of how perfect Hermione was all through Double Divination, which they had first, and then endure Malfoy's tauntings when it came to Double Potions, which came right after lunch. Not to mention the fact that every class that Ron and Hermione had seperate, Ron would give her a hug goodbye.  
  
By the end of the first week of school, Harry was feeling very squashed. A message was posted on the bulletin in the Gryffindor common room announcing that the first Hogsmeade weekend would be the second weekend of the school year, and then Harry had to listen to Ron talk about meeting Hermione in the Three Broomsticks and having a bit of a date there.  
  
Aside from all this, what Ron didn't seem to notice was that now more and more boys were starting to pay attention to Hermione. Seamus and Dean made this perfectly clear on the following Monday in History of Magic. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Neville, Seamus, and Dean were all sitting together in the back row of the classroom, and Professor Binns was blaring on as usual while most people slept or whispered to their friends.  
  
"Oy Harry," whispered Seamus. "Check out Hermione!" Harry looked over at her. She was sitting in her chair, almost reclining, right by the window. She was smiling at something that Ron had just said, and her hair was spread out over her shoulders.  
  
"Wouldn't mind some alone time with her, eh, Harry?" added Dean, clapping his hands enthusiastically under the table. "Woudn't mind taking her up to my dormitory for some fun, nope, not at all!" Seamus chuckled appreciatively and an nodded, grinning.  
  
"So," said Seamus, prodding Ron and lowering his voice considerably. "How far've you and gorgeous gotten yet?" Ron grinned and Harry felt a stab of foreboding in the pit of his stomach.  
  
"Far," answered Ron. "No more said!" Seamus sighed exasperatedly and punched him on the shoulder.  
  
"Fine, don't tell!" Dean said whinily, and resumed his conversation with Seamus about different types of Broomsticks. 


	3. Chapter 3: The Foal Paddock

It wasn't until Harry entered care of Magical Creatures that afternoon that his feelings lifted. Hagrid was standing outside his cabin, beaming around at the class (which Harry unpleasantly realized they still shared with Slytherin), carrying a very large armful of blankets and mis-matched combs.  
  
"Unicorns!" Hagrid announced, dumping his armload down into a crate nearby. "Dumbledore was up o'er in Ireland this pas' summer, an' he came across a group o' illegal Unicorn poachers. He rescued quite o' bit o' their babies, mind ya, but he just couldn' save the lot. The foals he brought back are still too young to go out inta the wild just yet, so he figured we could raise 'em a bit here until they are. Yer the on'y group that'll be carin' for 'em; Dumbledore doesn' want em associatin' with too many differen' people, see. So yer each gonna be assigned a unicorn to look after, and you best not go wrong in their carin for, mind. So follow me."   
  
Hagrid turned and led the class around to the back of his cabin, where he usually grew pumpkins and cared for roosters. Now, however, all the pumpkins and roosters were gone; instead stood a group of about twenty bright golden unicorn foals, huddled together in a group in the corner of the paddock. Harry could hear Hermione whisper something excitedly into Rons ear behind him. He tried to focus instead on the unicorn foal closest to him.  
  
"Now, Dumbledore's already informed me that you've already learned a bit abou' unicorns from a Professor Grubbly-Plank back in yer second year. But now you will actually be carin' for 'em yerselves. Ev'ryone into the paddock," he commanded, and the class began to clamber over the rough wooden fence. "Watch the fence, now, I still need ter add a gate..."  
  
Lavender and Parvati were talking quietly behind him, pointing at the various unicorns. Harry suddenly heard the words "Ron and Hermione" in their conversation, and turned around.  
  
"Yeah," Parvati was saying, "Ron definately doesn't deserve her. She's so pretty--wish I looked like her." Harry's heart raised a bit--Parvati didn't think Ron deserved Hermione. Good, he thought savagely, before reprimanding himself at his faltering loyalty to Ron.  
  
"Now, yer each goin' to wander aroun' the pen, like, and then choose the unicorn that seems ter suit you best. Some o' them are males, some are females--the males have the beginnings o' horns on their forheads, you can feel the bump if you run yer hand down their face. Females horns won't grow in til a bit later. Alright, then, lets get started."  
  
Harry began to walk around the paddock, looking at all the different foals. Should he choose a male or a female? he thought. He already had one female pet, after all, Hedwig; maybe a male would be the best choice. He was wandering around the pen, surveying possible unicorns, when something caught his eye. It was a foal, but somehow it seemed to be shining brighter than the others. He looked around. No one else seemed to have noticed the foals particularily shiny coat. Harry edged over to it through all the other unicorns (whose heads reached Harry's mid-thigh) and crouched down next to the especially shiny foal. He reached out a tentative hand and waited for the unicorn to make the first movement toward him. The foal eagerly butted its nose out into the palm of Harry's hand, and Harry felt a warm sensation spread throughout him as though he had just taken a big swallow of butterbeer. He ran his hand up the unicorns small head and felt a tiny, hardly distinguishable bump on the unicorns forhead. So it was a male, he thought.  
  
Standing up, Harry waved Hagrid over. "I've found mine," he said, smiling for the first time in days. 


	4. Chapter 4: A Boring Date

The group proceeded back to the castle more happily than they had arrived there, the girls chittering about the unicorns they chose and whispering to themselves. Harry, lost in thought about his little unicorn foal, was surprised when he looked up and saw Lavender standing in front of him.  
  
Unsure of what she wanted, he made to get around her. She caught up and fell in stride with him, walking rather fast. "So Harry," she said brightly, "did you choose a male or a female unicorn?"  
  
Harry paused, unsure of why Lavender was all of a sudden talking to him. "Er--I chose a male...how about you?"  
  
"Female," replied Lavender. Harry glanced up, and saw that Ron and Hermione were walking in front of him, holding hands. "So the next Hogsmeade weekend is this weekend, right?" she continued, looking at him intently.  
  
"Uh...oh, yeah it is." Hermione had now turned around and was looking at Lavender distastefully. Harry wondered vaguely what this meant.  
  
"So, anyways, Harry...I was wondering...maybe we could meet up or something in Madam Puddifoots or the Three Broomsticks sometime then..." Hermione glanced at Harry, her mouth open slightly. Parvati whipped around and stared at Harry. The group had now made its way up to the front steps of the castle.  
  
Harry surveyed the scene, and thought about it. Ron and Hermione would probably only end up flirting the whole time anyways, Harry thought, and its not like he had anything else to do...  
  
"Sure," he said finally. Lavender looked satisfied. Hermione blinked in shock. Parvati's eyes widened and they locked eyes for a second. Harry felt a small spark somewhere inside him. Lavender jerked him back to himself as they entered the Entrance Hall.  
  
"Well, then, Harry, I'll see you then!" She smiled and hurried back over to Parvati, who was looking slightly reluctant to talk to her. Harry wondered vaguely why this was.  
  
It was relatively sunny on the Morning of the Hogsmeade weekend. Harry got groggily out of bed and realized that he was the only one still in his dormitory. He hurridly got dressed and jogged down the spiral staircase, before realizing that everyone must just be at breakfast. He bounded into the Common Room and then stopped short in his tracks.  
  
In a corner stood Ron Hermione. They were kissing, and Harry could see neither of Rons hands and for a split second wondered where they might be--before realizing he didn't want to know. Before either of them could look up in shock, however, Harry had left through the Portrait Hole and was running down the corridor.  
  
Harry and Lavender met up in the Three Broomsticks around noon. Lavender was dressed in, well, lavender, and had even added lavender sparkles to her hair. Harry found the look quite distasteful--but he decided it would be rude to comment on this fact.  
  
"Hi Harry!" Lavender squealed and hugged him. Harry, who was not accustomed to this, didn't really do anything. "So, lets get a drink!" Lavender sat down at the nearest table and Madam Rosetta had soon delivered two butterbeers to them. Lavender had soon began talking about Divination, a subject which Harry found quite boring, and he soon realized they had nothing in common at all.  
  
By three o' clock that afternoon, Harry was heartily wishing he had never accepted Lavender's offer. Needless to say, he wasn't unhappy when Lavender waved good-bye to him and went into the Post Office next door.  
  
Harry sighed and turned away from the door. Before he could hide, Ron and Hermione had come up to him.  
  
"Well?" said Ron.  
  
"Well what?"  
  
"Well how did the date go?" cut in Hermione, impatient.  
  
"Horrible. Only agreed to 'cause I....well, we don't have very much in common." Harry had been about to say he'd only agreed to go with Lavender because he had nothing else to do, but then realized that this might come off as a bit mean and changed tactics.  
  
"It seems someone didn't have a problem with you being here," said Ron. Hermione cast a dark look into the opposite end of the room. "Parvati's been looking over at you guys every two minutes all day!"  
  
Harry shrugged.  
  
"We better get back to the carriages!" Ron said finally, breaking the silence. And so Harry set off behind his two best friends, who had been quite distant since their relationship, thinking about Hermione and Lavender. Did Lavender fancy him...? He avoided thinking about Hermione at the moment. But then there was Parvati... 


End file.
